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UN PLAN OF ACTION
ON THE SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS AND THE ISSUE OF IMPUNITY
IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW REPORT
FOR THE PERIOD 2013-2014
SUMMARY
This current report reviews the 2013-2014 implementation of the UN
Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity,
hereafter the UN Plan, with focus on the key achievements, challenges,
lessons learnt, and recommendations for the way forward. Particular
emphasis is placed on developments at the global level and on the
specific countries selected for the first phase of implementation as well
as where elements of the UN Plan are specifically being implemented.
O r i g i n a l : E n g l i s h
February 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I: OVERVIEW 3
A. Rationale of the UN Plan 3
B. Background 3
PART II: REVIEW OF THE UN PLAN 5
A. UN Plan: Key Achievements, Challenges, Lessons Learnt, and the Way Forward 5 B. Strengthening UN Mechanisms 6 C. Cooperating with Member States 20 D. Partnering with other Organizations and Institutions 26 E. Raising Awareness 36 F. Overall Conclusion and Recommendations 40
PART III: APPENDICES 45
Appendix 1: Organizations Which Contributed to the Review Report 45
Appendix 2: Joint statement by the attending civil society groups 47
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PART I: OVERVIEW
A. RATIONALE OF THE UN PLAN
1. The UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (hereafter “the UN
Plan”) is based on the premise that all members of the UN family share a common interest in
creating conditions conducive to journalistic safety. The rationale is that this safety is an important
prerequisite for achieving freedom of expression, democracy, social development, and peace –
which are all central to UN bodies fulfilling their mandates.
2. The UN Plan is also based on the premise that the UN and other relevant actors have a shared
interest in adopting a multi-stakeholder approach to secure the safety of all those involved in
generating journalism.1
3. The UN Plan further recognises the importance of a holistic approach and political will for securing
safety. This is because the UN Plan perceives safety as a broad category that extends from
preventive, protective, and pre-emptive measures, through to combating impunity and promoting a
social culture which cherishes freedom of expression and press freedom, with roles and
responsibilities for primarily the state, but also for other actors. Notably, the UN Plan also
acknowledges that safety spans both online and offline worlds, and that solutions require informed
action at global, regional, national, and local levels whilst at the same time responding to contextual
specificities in each case. The UN Plan is also gender-sensitive. The 120 point Implementation
Strategy reflects all these aspects of the UN Plan.
B. BACKGROUND
4. The UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity is the result of a process
that began in the deliberations of March 2010 with the 39 UNESCO Member States that serve on the
Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication
(IPDC). They unanimously requested the Director-General of UNESCO to consult with Member States
on the feasibility of convening an inter-agency meeting of all the relevant UN agencies “with a view
to formulating a comprehensive, coherent, and action-oriented approach to the safety of journalists
and the issue of impunity”.
5. Consequently, the first UN Inter-Agency Meeting on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of
Impunity took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 13-14 September 2011. Representatives of
United Nations agencies, programmes, and funds met at UNESCO to draft an Action Plan. A 2nd UN
Inter-Agency Meeting was held in Vienna, Austria, from 22 to 23 November 2012. The aim of the
second meeting was to formulate a concrete UN Implementation Strategy on The Safety of
1 When referring to journalists, in line with how UNESCO’s Member States refer to the constituency, this document
includes in the term, also media workers and social media producers who produce significant amounts of public-interest journalism. See: Decision of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication, 23 March 2012.
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Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The gestation of the UN Plan involved participation by
governmental representatives of 37 UNESCO member states, 15 UN Agencies, and more than 40
non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, independent experts, media groups, and
professional associations.
6. The UN Plan aims toward the creation of a free and safe environment for journalists and media
workers in both conflict and non-conflict situations, with a view to strengthening peace, democracy,
and development worldwide.
7. Concretely, the UN Plan includes the establishment of a coordinated inter-agency mechanism
amongst UN agencies to handle issues related to the safety of journalists, and the involvement of
other intergovernmental organizations at international and regional levels to encourage the
incorporation of journalists’ safety within their respective strategies. The UN Plan also entails the
extension of work already conducted by UNESCO to prevent crimes against media workers, including
awareness-raising and capacity-building. Furthermore, it proposes assistance to countries to
develop legislation and mechanisms favourable to freedom of expression and information.
8. The UN Plan was endorsed on 12 April 2012 by the UN Chief Executives Board, the highest level
coordination mechanism of the UN system. The UN Plan has also been highly welcomed by
international and regional press freedom organizations. In addition, it has been welcomed at the UN
General Assembly (UNGA), the UN Human Rights Council, and the Council of Europe.
9. UNESCO has been tasked by the UNGA through Resolution A/RES/68/163 to be the overall
coordinator of the UN Plan as well as to facilitate the implementation of the International Day to
End Impunity (IDEI) in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakeholders.
10. As part of that responsibility, UNESCO co-convened the 3rd UN Inter-Agency Meeting on the Safety
of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity on 4 November 2014 in Strasbourg, France in conjunction
with the inaugural observation of IDEI. The 3rd UN Inter-Agency Meeting took place at the premises
of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France on 4 November 2014. UNESCO, OHCHR, and the
Council of Europe jointly co-hosted the event. This meeting reviewed the first two years of
implementation of the UN Plan from 2013-2014, including the successes, challenges, lessons learnt
as well as to discuss steps for the future implementation of the UN Plan. This document was
prepared for the event and has been updated as a result of the discussions and subsequent
feedback. Appendix 1 provides a breakdown of those who contributed both during the event as well
as subsequently, and Appendix 2 provides the joint statement by civil society groups attending the
3rd Inter-Agency meeting.
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PART II: REVIEW OF THE UN PLAN
UN PLAN: KEY ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, LESSONS LEARNT, AND THE WAY FORWARD
The Implementation Strategy of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of
Impunity adopted during the 2nd Inter-Agency Meeting in Vienna, 2012, set out four sets of expected
results:
a) UN coordination mechanisms are strengthened and harmonised, and current and new actions
are put in place, in order to increase the impact of work on the safety of journalists and the
issue of impunity.
b) Member States are advised on the implementation of existing international standards at
national level and on the development of journalists’ safety mechanisms, as well as supported in
regards to the sharing of good practices and capacity-building amongst various actors, including
the criminal justice chain, to promote a safe environment for journalists at national level.
c) The work of intergovernmental organizations outside the UN and of other organizations such
as professional associations, media, academia, and NGOs, is reinforced and their work is
harmonised within the implementation of the UN Plan.
d) State institutions, governments, media houses, and other key stakeholders have increased
awareness of the importance of safety of journalists and combating impunity, and of ways to
achieve these conditions.
This review document is structured on these four sets of results, and it draws on the related UNESCO
Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) to identify information relevant to the assessment of the
implementation of the UN Plan.
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STRENGTHENING UN MECHANISMS
Expected Result 1: UN coordination mechanisms are strengthened and harmonised, and current and
new actions are put in place, in order to increase the impact of work on the safety of journalists and
the issue of impunity.
Key achievements
1. Under this expected result, there are four expected outcomes. Firstly, the UN internal
coordination mechanisms at international level are strengthened, harmonised, and created,
when relevant, taking into account each UN body’s mandate and differing contribution. Secondly,
it was also expected that the normative work at the UN is reinforced. Thirdly, where appropriate,
the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity are integrated within the planned activities of
the UN system and the feasibility of creating new activities would be studied and put in place.
Fourthly, as an outcome, the relevant issues would be included within UN national strategies and
internal coordination mechanisms.
2. The most significant achievements of this expected result have been in number (ii) – the
reinforcement of the normative framework at the United Nations level. Landmark resolutions on
the safety of journalists have been approved and adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2012
and 2014 as well as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2013 and 2014. These
documents are a testament to the growing recognition of the importance of ensuring the safety
of journalists and the need to end impunity. They have also served as an important point of
reference for regional institutions.
Expected Outcome 1.1: UN internal coordination mechanisms at international level are strengthened,
harmonised and created, when relevant, taking into account each UN body’s mandate and differing
contribution. (This section refers to Actions 1.1.1 to 1.1.7 of the Implementation Strategy)
3. During the first and second UN Inter-Agency meetings which took place in Paris (2011) and
Vienna (2012), the UN Agencies participating in the meetings had nominated a focal point on the
issue of safety of journalists and of impunity. The list of the focal points is available in the annex
of the Implementation Strategy 2013-2014.
4. Furthermore, as part of the second Inter-Agency Meeting, a mapping exercise of the existing
body of work related to safety of journalists and the combating of impunity was conducted. The
information provided by various governments and organizations, including over 40 NGOs, IGOs,
and UN agencies, funds and programmes, helped to form the Implementation Strategy 2013-
2014.
5. In terms of making relevant information available, UNESCO has created a dedicated website
(www.unesco.org/new/en/SafetyofJournalists) serving as a repository of information concerning
the safety of journalists and combating impunity, including upcoming events and meetings.
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Additionally UNESCO produces a bi-monthly newsletter concerning the UN Plan which is further
disseminated through a network of 63 United Nations Information Centres (UNIC) as well as
Peacekeeping and Political Missions by the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI).
6. Regular international and regional inter-agency meetings on the issues are being organized.
Between 2011 and 2014, three UN Inter-Agency Meetings (Paris in 2011, Vienna in 2012, and
Strasbourg in 2014) have been variously co-organized by UNESCO, OHCHR, UNODC, UNDP, and
the Council of Europe.
Expected Outcome 1.2: UN normative work on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity is
reinforced. (This section refers to Actions 1.2.1 to 1.2.13 of the Implementation Strategy 2013-2014)
7. The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted by consensus Resolution A/HRC/21/12 on
the Safety of Journalists on 25 September 2012 during its 21st Session. The Human Rights Council
condemned in the strongest terms all attacks and violence against journalists and expressed its
concern that there was a growing threat to the safety of journalists posed by non-State actors. It
stressed the need to establish better cooperation and coordination at the international level to
ensure the safety of journalists, and it invited UN agencies, programmes and funds, other
international and regional organizations, UN Member States, and all relevant stakeholders to
cooperate further in the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on The Safety of Journalists
and the Issue of Impunity. The Resolution A/HRC/RES/21/12 was further strengthened by
Resolution A/HRC/RES/27/5, adopted in the Human Rights Council on 25 September 2014 during
its 27th Session, which called on States to adopt concrete measures to combat impunity for
attacks and violence against journalists.
8. On 18 December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the main deliberative,
policymaking, and representative organ of the United Nations, adopted Resolution
A/RES/69/185 on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.2 Reaffirming its landmark
Resolution A/RES/68/163 of 18 December 2013, it calls upon States to promote a safe and
enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently without undue
interference and invites stakeholders to exchange information through identified focal points on
the implementation of the UN Plan with UNESCO as the overall coordinator.3 In addition, it
encourages States to take the opportunity of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes
against Journalists on 2 November to raise awareness of the safety of journalists and to
undertake concrete initiatives towards this end.
9. Furthermore, the UN General Assembly, through Resolution A/RES/68/163 on Safety of
Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, requested the Secretary-General to report, at its 69th
session, on the implementation of the resolution. The resulting report, which was prepared by
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), gives an
2 See http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/ga11604.doc.htm.
3 See http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N14/633/39/PDF/N1463339.pdf.
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overview of recent trends with regard to the safety of journalists and media workers, as well as
of initiatives undertaken to ensure their protection, and includes conclusions and
recommendations. The Secretary-General report was based on information received from
Member States and civil society organizations following a note verbale and request for
information issued on 14 March 2014 as well as on information gathered from public sources.
(More detail on the report is provided below).
10. UNESCO has reinforced the existing normative work and initiated further steps as well. These are
mandated by the adoption, by the Executive Board of UNESCO at its 191st Session, of the UNESCO
Work Plan on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. This Work Plan further affirmed
the Organization’s commitment to the issues especially with a focus on South-South cooperation.
UNESCO’s 36th General Conference adopted Resolution 53 which mandated the Organization to
monitor, in close cooperation with other United Nations bodies and other relevant organizations
active in this field, the status of press freedom and safety of journalists, with emphasis on cases
of impunity for violence against journalists and to report on developments in these fields to the
biannual General Conference. This led to UNESCO’s World Trends on Freedom of Expression and
Media Development Report, published in 2014 and subsequently launched in six cities worldwide,
which analyses the safety of journalists between 2007 and 2012. Additionally, UNESCO has
continued to monitor the judicial follow-up through the Intergovernmental Council of the
International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) (see below).
11. Following Resolution 29 of the 29th General Conference of UNESCO in 1997, the Director-General
of UNESCO has engaged on an ongoing basis to publicly condemn each confirmed killing of a
journalist. In 2012, the Director-General condemned 123 cases, in 2013 there were 91
condemnations, and as of December 2014, the Director-General condemned more than 70 cases
in 2014. Each condemnation is issued as a press statement and governments in the affected
countries are requested to ensure a judicial inquiry into the killing and to inform to UNESCO, on a
voluntarily basis, the outcome of the judicial inquiry.
12. UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of
Communication (IPDC) adopted the Decisions on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of
Impunity at its 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th sessions in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 respectively.
These Decisions urge Member States “to inform the Director-General of UNESCO, on a voluntary
basis, of the actions taken to prevent the impunity of the perpetrators and to notify her/him of
the status of the judicial inquiries conducted on each of the killings condemned by UNESCO”. The
2014 Decision noted “the continuing relevance of IPDC Decisions that request the Director-
General of UNESCO to provide to the Intergovernmental Council of the IPDC, on a two-year basis
at its biennial session, an analytical report on the Director-General’s condemnations of the
killings of journalists, media workers and social media producers who are engaged in journalistic
activities.” The analysis of the killings of journalists between 2006-2013, including the status of
the judicial inquiry, is compiled in the 4th biennial UNESCO Director-General’s Report on the
Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity which was presented to the Intergovernmental
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Council meeting of the IPDC on 20-21 November 2014. Over the period, the percentage of
responding countries has declined, although transparency has been introduced whereby
responding countries may request to have their information put online on the UNESCO website
alongside the original condemnation of the killings. The Council Decision on the Report noted
“with regret that, in two-thirds of the cases in which journalists have been killed, no information
has been submitted to UNESCO’s Director-General.” It urged Member States “to promote the
safety of journalists by taking advantage of the knowledge, experiences and opportunities
available through participation in the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue
of Impunity which encourages the development of national processes and mechanisms involving
all stakeholders to achieve an environment for the safe exercise of free expression”.
13. UNESCO Member States recognized online safety issues in their Resolution 52, adopted at
UNESCO’s 37th General Conference in November 2013, which affirmed the relevance of human
rights online and highlighted the importance of confidentiality of journalists’ sources. In 2014, a
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/RES/27/5) on the Safety of Journalists
also highlighted digital safety. Later in 2014, the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Safety
of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity acknowledged the “particular vulnerability of journalists
to becoming targets of unlawful or arbitrary surveillance or interception of communications in
violation of their rights to privacy and to freedom of expression.”4
14. Progress in reinforcing global norms is also evident in the tenth Report of the Secretary-General
as issued to the Security Council on 22 November 2013 on the “Protection of Civilians in Armed
Conflict”. This highlighted the safety of journalists where the UN Secretary General welcomed the
attention on the issue and took note of the open debate on the safety of journalists at the UN
which took place in July 2013. (More detail on this event is provided below).
15. Furthermore, as recommended by the Implementation Strategy 2013-2014, existing
international standards including the relevant provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the
additional Protocols, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the General
Comments of the Human Rights Committee, and the United Nations Security Council Resolution
1738, along with the newer normative instruments including the UNGA Resolutions and Human
Rights Council Resolutions on Safety of Journalists, are available as the “Basic Texts” on the
UNESCO’s dedicated page on safety of journalists issues.5
16. The holders of the Special Procedures mandates have given significant attention to the issues of
safety of journalists. The mandate holders regularly raise concerns governments directly through
their communications (urgent appeals, allegation letters), as well as through press releases,
statements, and thematic and country reports. They include the UN Special Rapporteur on the
promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (see, most recently,
4 UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/69/185 was adopted without a vote. See
http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/ga11604.doc.htm. 5 www.unesco.org/new/en/SafetyofJournalists.
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A/HRC/14/23, its Add.2, and A/HRC/20/17), the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions (see A/HRC/20/22), and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights defenders (see A/HRC/13/22, A/HRC/19/55 and A/HRC/25/55), as well as the Special
Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. These Special Rapporteurs have
highlighted the detrimental impact of attacks on journalists on the full realization of the human
rights on which they are mandated to report and advise. They have made important
recommendations aimed at ensuring greater protection for journalists and media workers.
Expected Outcome 1.3: The safety of journalists and the issue of impunity are integrated within the
UN-system planned activities and the feasibility of creating new activities is studied and, where
appropriate, put in place. (This section refers to Actions 1.3.1 to 1.3.10 in the Implementation Strategy
2013-2014. Note: many of the achievements below also contribute to other Expected Outcomes such
as those concerning normative work and awareness-raising)
17. The safety of journalists has been strongly integrated into worldwide events including World
Radio Day on 13 February, World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, and the International Day to
End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November. In particular, this integration has
been strong in UNESCO’s global World Press Freedom Day conference each year. These events
bring together journalists, editors, experts, academics, students, representatives of international
and regional organizations as well as civil society, UN Agencies, and Member States, and help set
the global thematic for other events around the observation of the World Press Freedom Day. In
2013, the World Press Freedom Day conference, held in San José, Costa Rica, was focused on the
safety of journalists and the issue of impunity and led to the adoption of the San José Declaration
“Safe to speak: securing freedom of expression in all media”. In 2014, the conference took place
in UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, with the global theme “Media freedom for a better future:
shaping the post-2015 development agenda” and a subtheme titled “Rule of law to ensure safety
of journalists and combating impunity”. Globally, there are around 100 celebrations taking place
each year. World Press Freedom Day is also increasingly present in social media, including on one
occasion via a partnership with Twitter. In 2013 and 2014, the hashtag #pressfreedom has been a
trending topic on 3 May. UNESCO has also continued to award the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano
World Press Freedom Prize, honouring a person, organization or institution that has made an
outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom.
18. Various projects promoting the safety of journalists are implemented by UNESCO through regular
or core funding as well as through extra-budgetary funding. One example is the International
Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) 58th Bureau Meeting which took
place on 20-21 March 2014 at UNESCO. The Bureau approved 80 projects, including 13 related to
journalists’ safety and the UN Plan coming from Liberia, Nigeria, Mali, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South
Sudan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, and the regions of Central Asia
and Central America. The IPDC, the only forum in the UN system designed to mobilize the
international community to promote media development, provides small grants to media
projects in developing countries. Another integration of safety into the IPDC activities has been
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the production of a research instrument on the topic. Under the framework of IPDC’s Media
Development Indicators, and through a consultative process, UNESCO developed specialized
Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) in 2013 for application at national and international levels.
(More detail on the indicators is provided below).
19. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at the request of the Human
Rights Council (Resolution A/HRC/RES/21/12), prepared, in collaboration with the Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, a
compilation of good practices in the protection of journalists, the prevention of attacks
committed against journalists, and the fight against impunity for such attacks. OHCHR presented
the report to the Human Rights Council at its 24th session in September 2013 (A/HRC/24/23).
Based on inputs received from States, the report formulates good practices in four areas: political
commitment, legislative framework, combating impunity, and protection. (More detail on this
report is provided later in this document)
20. The 25th Session of the Human Rights Council on 11 March 2014 saw a panel discussion
addressing the issue of the protection and promotion of civil society space.6 Based on resolution
A/HRC/24/21, entitled “Civil society space: creating and maintaining, in law and in practice, a safe
and enabling environment”, this was the first formal discussion on the issue of civil society space
as a human rights concern. The issues of surveillance which encroach on journalistic privacy and
attack the media, bloggers, and journalists, were among the issues discussed. Furthermore, in its
Resolution A/HRC/RES/25/38 on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of
peaceful protests (adopted in the 25th Session), the Human Rights Council called upon all States
to pay particular attention to the safety of journalists and media workers covering peaceful
protests, taking into account their specific role, exposure, and vulnerability. It recognized the
important role played by journalists and other media workers in documenting human rights
violations or abuses committed in the context of peaceful protests.
21. Following the report presented at its 24th session (A/HRC/24/23), the Human Rights Council
decided to convene, at its 26th session, a panel discussion on the issue of the safety of journalists
with a particular focus on the findings of the report, identifying challenges and further developing
good practices to ensure the safety of journalists by sharing information on initiatives undertaken
to protect them. The panel, organized by OHCHR, was held on 11 June 2014; panelists included
the Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the
UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression, and representatives of the media and civil society. OHCHR presented a summary
report of the panel discussion to the Human Rights Council at its 27th session in September 2014
(A/HRC/27/35).
22. The issue of safety of journalists and impunity has often been addressed in the Universal
Periodical Review (UPR). The UPR is a process which involves a periodic review of the human
6 See http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?page=article_s&id_article=4412
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rights records of all 193 UN Member States and is part of the Human Rights Council. The HRC
resolution on the Safety of Journalists (A/HRC/27/5) acknowledges the importance of addressing
the issue of the safety of journalists through the process of the UPR. The full list of countries in
the UPR and the respective reports can be accessed from the OHCHR website.7
23. In July 2013, the United Nations Security Council held an open debate on the protection of
journalists during armed conflict. The Deputy Secretary-General stressed that the Security
Council could play an important role by reacting to, and standing up against, the suppression of
media freedom wherever and whenever it occurs. He emphasized that protecting free media is a
prerequisite for freedom of expression and democracy, and relevant for the pursuit of peace and
security as well as development.
24. In December 2013, the Security Council also discussed the protection of journalists under the
Arria-formula, in an event which included the Director-General of UNESCO and the UN Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Previously, in 2006, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1738, in which it condemned attacks
against journalists, media professionals, and associated personnel in situations of armed conflict,
recalling that such persons shall be considered civilians and thus respected and protected as such.
25. Following a specific item in the UN Plan’s Implementation Strategy, the issue of the right to
freedom of expression, including press freedom and the safety of journalists and the issue of
impunity, has been advocated as one of the Targets to be included in the post-2015 Sustainable
Development Agenda. This was done through the World Press Freedom Day conference and
related Paris Declaration on 3 May 2014. This argument was reiterated at the Global Media
Forum co-organized by UNESCO and the Government of Indonesia which took place in Bali,
Indonesia from 25-28 August 2014. The Paris Declaration and the Bali Road Map were
subsequently forwarded to the UN Secretary General who responded that freedom of expression,
press freedom, independent media, and the right of access to information were of high
importance and should not be lost sight of in the ongoing post-2015 deliberations. The need to
address impunity as a contributing link to development was also highlighted by UNESCO at a side-
event of the 27th Session of the Human Rights Council meeting on 17 September 2014, organized
by the NGO Article 19. A Decision of UNESCO’s IPDC Council in November 2014 urged “Member
States to ensure that freedom of expression, free, independent and pluralistic media, and media
development are integrated into the universal Post-2015 Development Agenda”.
26. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) produced the publication Media and Elections:
A Guide for Electoral Practitioners (2014), which is designed as a key reference tool for electoral
practitioners including electoral management bodies, independent broadcasting authorities, and
international assistance providers. This has relevance to the safety of journalists as elections are
often a time of heightened tensions and conflict. The guide is comprised of ten chapters that
include the issues of media and communications during the electoral process.
7 http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx.
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27. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) published Reporting on Corruption: A
Resource Tool for Governments and Journalists (2014), which provides examples of investigative
reporting on corruption and highlights legal frameworks and good government practices that
could serve as sources of inspiration or as models. Amongst other issues, the tool touches on
measures to protect the anonymity of sources, to create an ethical environment through self-
regulation, and to strengthen the physical safety of journalists.
28. Furthermore, UNODC also published the Global Study on Homicide 2013 which seeks to
understand the underlying patterns and trends related to different forms, settings, and risk
factors of homicide at the global, regional, and national levels. The global study includes a section
dedicated to the killing of journalists and contains information on the number of journalists killed
in the line of duty, the topics covered by journalists killed, and the number of journalists who are
victims of homicide perpetrated by organized criminal groups.
Expected Outcome 1.4: The safety of journalists and the issue of impunity are included within UN
national strategies and internal coordination mechanisms (This section refers to Actions 1.4.1 to 1.4.7
of the Implementation Strategy 2013-2014).
29. During the 2nd UN Inter-Agency Meeting in 2012, four countries were selected as part of the first
phase of the implementation of the UN Plan. They were Iraq, Pakistan, Nepal, and South Sudan.
As the implementation progressed, elements of the UN Plan have also motivated actions in
Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Myanmar, and Tunisia. The progress of the four countries
selected for the first phase of the implementation of the UN Plan is listed in this section. In
several cases, the information provided goes wider than purely UN actors and reflects the
important role of other actors (national and international) who have contributed to an integrated
momentum for the UN Plan in these four countries. The information presented is thus also
relevant to the subsequent sections of this document, which concern the activities of actors
other than the UN within the framework of the UN Plan.
Iraq
30. In Iraq, the combination of the deterioration of the security situation, the fragmented media
landscape, political instability, and the lack of resources has caused challenges to the
implementation of the UN Plan. Nevertheless, an assessment of the needs for moving forward
with its implementation was undertaken by UNESCO through consultations with some 30
representatives of main stakeholders conducted from 13 to 17 December 2013 in Erbil. The
dialogues included discussion on the agenda and format of a potential conference that, according
to all interlocutors, should be held in advance of the parliamentarian elections of 30 April 2014 to
develop elements for a roadmap to increase the safety of journalists in Iraq within the framework
of the UN Plan. An attempt to organize the event end of March 2014 failed because of
disagreement between the parties on the place of the conference and on funding. At the same
time, within the framework of the UN Plan, International Media Support (IMS) established a
dialogue between key authorities and police to ensure journalists’ safety through a joint code of
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conduct and strengthened mutual understanding of the rights and responsibilities of journalists
and police. A similar initiative was conducted in the Kurdistan region.
31. After the formation of the new Iraqi Government in September 2014, UNESCO has started to
invigorate cooperation with officials of the new government, human rights actors, and
representatives of professional associations. In December 2014, UNESCO was preparing
cooperation agreements with the Ministry of Human Rights, the High Commission for Human
Rights, and the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate. The aims of the agreements are to contribute to the
development of the communication and media sector, to promote freedom of expression in
accordance with internationally recognized standards in general, and to improve the safety of
journalists while also promoting conflict-sensitive reporting. By fostering the role of media and
freedom of expression within the framework of the UN Plan, it is expected that concrete
initiatives, planned and implemented under the umbrella of the agreements, will contribute to
mitigating the impact of the severe crisis in Iraq.
32. It is noteworthy in this context, that Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi decided in October 2014 to
form a committee with members from the Ministry of Finance and the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate
to accelerate the process of paying monthly salaries for the members of the families of
assassinated journalists and media workers in accordance with the 2011 Journalists’ Rights Law
No. 21.
33. In concurrence with International Human Rights Day 2014 on 10 December, local stakeholders
convened on 15 December 2014 at a conference organized by UNESCO, the Iraq Council of
Representatives, and the Communications and Media Commission in Baghdad, Iraq. In light of
the launch of the Arabic translation of the World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media
Development Report, the discussions focused on legal frameworks for freedom of expression and
the safety of journalists.
34. On 15 January 2015, the Communications and Media Commission announced to consider the
year 2015 as a “year of freedom of expression and media pluralism in Iraq”, in order to activate
the role of the media and to consolidate the principles of freedom of expression and freedom of
information.
35. A Memorandum of Understanding is being prepared between UNESCO and the Iraqi Council of
Representatives to enhance the knowledge and capabilities of the national members of
parliament in the areas where UNESCO plays an integral role, including media related work.
36. Meanwhile the human rights component of the United Nations Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)
continued to monitor and report on freedom of expression in Iraq and the safety of journalists in
particular (see the joint OHCHR – UNAMI reports on the human rights situation in Iraq, available
on http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/MENARegion/Pages/UNAMIHRReports.aspx
15
Pakistan
37. In Pakistan, a national consultative meeting took place in June 2012 which produced a draft
National Plan of Action on Safety of Pakistani Journalists and Media as well as the Islamabad
Declaration that called for the protection of journalists and media workers. This was followed up
by an International Conference on Safety and Security of Journalists in Pakistan in early March
2013, to create a formal alliance for taking forward action. In June 2013, funding was raised from
the Norwegian Refugee Council, to provide human resources to UNESCO to support the UN Plan
in Pakistan for one year.
38. The UN Plan in Pakistan was officially launched at the conference in March 2013. The Pakistan
Coalition on Media Safety (PCOMS) was subsequently created in Islamabad by a broad-based
alliance of relevant stakeholders including representative associations of media workers, working
journalists, media development organizations, human rights organizations, civil society groups,
parliamentarians, and the government. In October 2013, a Steering Committee was established
which included the Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Pervaiz Rasheed and Federal
Interior Minister Nisar Ali. The PCOMS has developed a national roadmap for the stakeholders on
media safety and combating impunity.
39. In the same month, a special session of the UN Country Team (UNCT) was convened, during
which the UN Plan was presented. A Human Rights Task Force was established under the UNCT.
The Task Force assigned a Special Task Force on the UN Plan to be constituted and led by
UNESCO. The UN Resident Coordinator of the Heads of Agencies expressed full support to the UN
Plan.
40. The One UN Programme Phase II (OP II, Special Priority Area 4) on governance has a focus on
human rights, which covers safety of journalists as well. Recommendations of the National
Consultation on UN Plan are part of an annex of the most recent Common Country Assessment
(CCA) of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
41. Adding to the momentum of the UN Plan, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Broadcasting and
National Heritage created a special unit in its Press Information Department to monitor threats
against media professionals and to take concrete steps to counter such threats. A special fund
with an endowment has been established at Ministry level as part of the awareness-raising
efforts of the UN Plan. UNESCO Islamabad is working with various stakeholders towards a series
of policy dialogues to draft a model law on journalists’ safety at provincial as well as federal level
which could assist in developing appropriate national policies and institutional frameworks to
increase journalists’ safety in Pakistan. UNESCO has shared international experiences on such
laws with stakeholders in Pakistan.
42. In April 2014, the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, after meeting the Committee to Protect
Journalists, announced that a Media Commission will be created to guarantee the safety of
Pakistani journalists. This Media Commission, consisting of both media workers and government
16
officials, will set out measures to protect journalists in the field as well as to give
recommendations on effectively monitoring the prosecution of crimes against media workers.
Pakistan is also one of the first countries to be piloting UNESCO’s Journalists’ Safety Indicators
(JSI) in 2014, the research instrument which serves to lay out a baseline against which changes
related to the UN Plan can be assessed.
Nepal
43. In Nepal, UNESCO has secured additional funding (USD 566,000) from the UN Peace Fund to
support the project “Increasing the security of journalists” which is being implemented from
2013-2015. The project aims at improving the security situation of journalists and media
professionals in Nepal on three different levels. First, extensive discussions among district and
regional level judicial structures have taken place in Nepal to heighten awareness on cases
involving journalists. There is an agreement to establish a nationally-owned mechanism to
monitor safety of journalists under the leadership of the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) with the Nepali Police and the Ministry of Information and Communications. Second,
national political stakeholders and the public at large are being sensitized to the importance of
security of journalists for freedom of the media and subsequently Nepal’s peace and
development process. Lastly, the local security forces and judiciary bodies, as well as male and
female journalists, are being trained on how to handle cases of threats towards journalists and
individual security strategies, respectively.
In addition, activities concerning safety of journalists have been integrated in the country’s
UNDAF document.
South Sudan
44. In South Sudan, UNESCO supported the establishment of the Media Monitoring Committees in
all the 10 states under the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS). Twenty media monitors
from different states received training in Juba from 3 to 6 June 2014 focused on monitoring and
documenting press freedom violations. This training was organized by UJOSS and supported by
UNESCO, UNMISS, and International Media Support (IMS). Trainers were drawn from the Media
Council of Kenya, a regulatory body that has successfully established structures for monitoring,
documenting, and reporting media violations in Kenya. Another workshop took place on 11
December 2014 where UNESCO in collaboration with UNMISS organized a training for journalists
on methodologies for information collection in the context of cases of human rights violation
against journalists. UNESCO has also capacitated the media monitoring committees with
monitoring and reporting tools including phones, reporting lines, computers, and recording
diaries. To ensure coherence on the incidents reported, UNESCO has been facilitating bi-weekly
consultations between the secretariat of these media monitoring committees (UJOSS) and
international NGOs whose mandate also includes the monitoring and reporting of cases that
affect the safety of journalists.UNESCO also supported the drafting of three media bills that were
endorsed in July 2013 by members of the National Legislative Assembly in South Sudan. The
17
Human Rights Division of UNMISS also provided technical support and assistance to the
Government and National Legislative Assembly (NLA) with the aim to ensure human rights
compliance.8 The NLA passed the Media Bills in 2013, which were then sent to the President for
his assent. Pursuant to his constitutional rights, the President returned the Media Bills to
parliament proposing some amendments, which subsequently were approved by the NLA on 4
December 2013, when the bills were re-submitted to the President for signature. On 9
September 2014, the presidential press secretary announced during a media briefing, that the
President had signed the Media Bills into law. Following the announcement, UNMISS HRD
officially requested copies of the Media Laws from the Ministry of Justice. On 30 September 2014,
the Legal Department of the MoJ provided the requested copies signed by the President on 9
December 2013. UNESCO was active in advocating for the media bills to be signed into law.
Implementation of the new media laws through the establishment of institutions will provide a
legal framework for the protection of journalists.
46. Further in South Sudan, UNESCO established an online discussion platform through the
establishment of a list-serve and mailing list ([email protected]) which enables all
the media partners and stakeholders to discuss thematic topics. As a result, there has been
increased coordination and collaboration by carrying out joint initiatives such as the co-funding
of the media monitors training with the International Media Support as well as the co-funding for
World Press Freedom Day’s celebration with various partners such as Norwegian People’s Aid
and Internews. The activities supporting the safety of journalists are also well harmonised under
the Thematic Working Group on Safety of Journalists and Issues of Impunity which is convened
by UNESCO with the support of a secondee from the Norwegian Refugee Council. UNMISS
Human Rights Division is permanent member of the working group.
47. In South Sudan, activities focusing on the implementation of the UN Plan have been integrated in
the country’s UNDAF document as well as in most reports from the UN Country Team which
were prepared for the UN Security Council.
Other countries
48. Other countries have had elements of the UN Plan integrated into a wider UN framework,
including Jordan, where in 2014 the establishment of self-regulatory mechanism, such as an
independent media complaint mechanism as part of a systematic media reform, has been
included in the revised UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
49. Also, the OHCHR and the UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West
Asia and the Arab Region implemented four training programmes for journalists from the region,
in which the issue of safety of journalists was featured prominently. The programmes took place
in Lebanon (2011), Libya (2012), Yemen (2013), and Morocco (2014). The training was conducted
8 However, some concerns remain, in particular that defamation remains a criminal offence.
18
together with UNESCO, the Human Rights Department at Al-Jazeera, and the Doha Centre for
Media Freedom.
Challenges and lessons learnt
50. There has been substantial activity concerning the UN’s normative role at the UN General
Assembly, the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and UNESCO. However, the integration
of the issues within the existing mandate of other UN bodies remains relatively low. To link the
UN Plan to the activities of these other agencies, it must be better connected to their respective
mandates.
51. The global normative role of the UN on safety and impunity has not had a strong resonance at
the country level, although within several countries the UN has played a major role by
contributing to the UN Plan and its implementation.
52. The implementation of the UN Plan coincides with the severe reduction of UNESCO’s regular
budget which in turn has reduced the human resources at the country level. This has reduced the
ability of UNESCO, as the leading UN agency on the UN Plan, to optimise its contribution to UN
national strategies and internal coordination mechanisms at the country level.
53. In Nepal, the retirement of NHRC commissioners and the delay in identifying their successors
pose a big challenge towards achieving the goal of establishing a nationally-owned mechanism
envisioned by the Safety of Journalists’ project in the country.
54. In South Sudan, the political crisis in December 2013 and following conflict affected many
implementing partners’ activities that had been planned under the South Sudan Country Plan of
Action for Safety of Journalists. Some partners re-focused their activities to humanitarian support
only while others halted their activities. UNMISS, who are an implementing partner of the
country’s Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists, has also seen their mandate changed with
the new SCR 2155 (with less focus capacity building, and more focused on humanitarian support
and human rights investigation and reporting).
Recommendations
55. Mainstreaming the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity into the diverse work of each
UN agency could be better achieved with dialogue about the relevance of the UN Plan to each
specific mandate. This can be accompanied by improved sharing of good practices by UN actors,
such as associated toolkits and interventions at country level. It is also important to heighten
awareness within the UN by reporting on achievements regarding the UN Plan.
56. To mainstream the safety of journalists into the work of respective UN agencies, there should be
more collaborative work in overlapping areas, particularly at country level. UN bodies already
involved in the UN Plan need to be more proactive in reaching out to their counterparts. There is
19
also room for improvement through systematising the sharing of information between field
offices and HQs within the UN on matters related to the UN Plan.
57. In Nepal, one of the lessons learnt was that sufficiently large stakeholder discussions needed to
take place in order to select implementing partners. For example, it was important to engage
stakeholders with extended national presence (beyond the capital city) in order to have impact
beyond the selected districts. With this realization the project has now partnered with six more
human rights associations and local media advocacy groups.
58. In South Sudan, different actions are needed following the humanitarian crisis in the country as
well as the increased level of incidents affecting the safety of journalists. Given that the
country’s Plan of Action had been put in place with several concrete activities to be implemented
by different partners, revisions may be needed. It is important that the scale of intervention is
increased and that the implementation period of the activities foreseen under the country’s Plan
of Action is extended. This is necessary in order to ensure that the safety of journalists’ issue in
the country will continue to be addressed in the long term.
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COOPERATING WITH MEMBER STATES
Expected Result 2: Member States are advised on the implementation of existing international
standards at national level and on the development of journalist safety mechanisms, as well as
supported in regard to the sharing of good practices and capacity-building among various actors,
including the criminal justice chain, to promote a safe environment for journalists at national level.
Key Achievements
59. Under this expected result, there are three expected outcomes. These are, firstly, Member
States are assisted to implement existing international standards and to share good practices.
Secondly, Member States are assisted to develop national legislation and mechanisms
guaranteeing freedom of expression and press freedom, particularly regarding the safety of
journalists and the issue of impunity. Thirdly, national and local public institutions’ capacities are
strengthened in relevant areas.
60. The key achievement in this area is the increased awareness of Member States in the importance
of the issue of safety of journalists and the need to end impunity, shown for example in the
number of countries providing support for resolutions in UN fora. There is also a heightened
awareness of the existence of international instruments dealing with the safety of journalists.
Several national leaders have expressed their support to the UN Plan. Elements of the UN Plan
have motivated the actions of authorities in Brazil, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan,
Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Tunisia.
Expected Outcome 2.1: Member States are assisted to implement existing international standards and
to share good practices. (This section refers to Actions 2.1.1 to 2.1.5 in the Implementation Strategy
2013-2014)
61. As indicated above, at the request of the Human Rights Council in accordance with Resolution
A/HRC/21/12, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) prepared, in
collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to
freedom of opinion and expression, a compilation of good practices in the protection of
journalists, the prevention of attacks committed against journalists, and the fight against
impunity for such attacks. Member States provided information in the preparation of the
publication. OHCHR presented the report to the Human Rights Council in September 2013 at its
24th session. The issue of the safety of journalists has also been highlighted on different occasions
involving Member States, including the 26th and 27th Session of the Human Rights Council.
62. The Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) are an independent research tool to be used by Member
States and other actors, which have been developed by UNESCO to address the gaps by
systematically collecting information and providing a baseline against which it is possible to track
changes relevant to the UN Plan. Based on the UNESCO Media Development Indicators’
methodology, the JSI provide indicators relevant to the actions of the authorities as well as other
21
actors. The JSI have been pilot-tested in Pakistan, Honduras and Guatemala, with
implementation being done by independent local or regionally based research organizations. A
number of other countries have also expressed interest in the indicators.
63. UNESCO’s Director-General’s Fourth Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of
Impunity was presented to the Intergovernmental Council of the IPDC on 20-21 November 2014,
as noted earlier in this document. The Report incorporates the information, submitted on a
voluntary basis, from 62 Member States, where there are still unresolved killings of journalists, of
the actions taken to prevent the impunity of the perpetrators and of the status of the judicial
inquiries conducted on each of the killings condemned by the UNESCO Director-General from
2006-2013. Introducing the report, UNESCO’s Deputy Director General stated: “The Secretariat
stands committed and ready to provide support to any Member State that seeks it, to respond to
the requests to voluntarily report on judicial process. Such reporting is not only an opportunity
for States to demonstrate their commitment to this issue. It is also a precondition for concerted
national action, which hinges on the capacity of Governments to monitor and collate relevant
information about the fight against impunity.”
64. As also noted earlier, Member States often address concerns regarding the safety of journalists
and of impunity as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. The UPR is a unique
process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States. The UPR is
a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the
opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights
situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations.
Expected Outcome 2.2: Member States are assisted to develop national legislation and mechanisms
guaranteeing freedom of expression and press freedom, particularly regarding the safety of journalists
and the issue of impunity and Expected Outcome 2.3: National and local public institutions’ capacities
are strengthened in relevant areas. (This section refers to Action 2.2.1 to 2.3.5 of the Implementation
Strategy 2013-2014)
In addition to the experiences in the pilot countries discussed earlier in this document, the following also
applies to this category of outcomes for the UN Plan:
Africa region
65. In Nigeria, UNESCO, with the support of the European Union, has launched a project to monitor
the safety of journalists during the 2015 electoral period in cooperation with the Nigeria Union of
Journalists (USD 300,000). The project will include training workshops at the level of the six geo-
political zones and two national workshops on safety issues. A journalist’s safety code will also be
developed and distributed around the country. This initiative contributes to the government’s
interest in a transparent and incident-free election.
22
Arab States region
66. In Jordan, UNESCO secured funding in 2014 from the European Union (3 million Euros) for the
implementation of a three-year project to support the media reform process in the country. The
project will focus on the media sector in Jordan as a platform for democratic dialogue and as a
crucial instrument to transparency and accountability in a democratic society. Its primary
objective is to strengthen an enabling regulatory and institutional environment and to build the
capacity for an independent, quality based media sector serving the entire population. One
priority area of the project is media regulation and independence, which will include capacity-
building activities and procedures for media to acquire broadcast licenses independently, and the
design and establishment of an independent media complaints council with a code of honour and
conduct. In this way, the authorities will be supported to create an environment for the safe
exercise of journalism.
67. Furthermore, UNESCO is enhancing legal support to media in Jordan with the long-term goal to
establish a network of lawyers specialized in defending journalists, bloggers, and other media
professionals, in addition to citizen journalists and activists. The project also includes workshops
for judges, namely the “Future Judges” initiative introduced by the judicial system in Jordan. The
workshops will aim at sensitizing participants about international standards and conventions on
freedom of expression and the press.
68. In Tunisia, UNESCO has implemented a project to train security forces on freedom of expression,
freedom of press, and safety of journalists (USD 450,000) in cooperation with the Tunisian
Ministry of Interior. The project included training-of-trainers and a series of training sessions in
the regions of Tunisia aimed at sensitizing security force officers on the issues of human rights,
freedom of expression, and safety of journalists. Four six-day training sessions took place in the
cities of Gafsa, Sbeïtla, Bizerte, and Sidi Bouzid during June and July 2013. Two days were
dedicated to joint sessions for members of security forces and journalists working in these
governorates. In total, 90 officers from the police, the National Guard, and the Emergency
Preparedness, as well as about 30 journalists attended the training in 2013. In this framework, six
awareness days were facilitated by a commander from the Canadian police, covering more than
700 cadets and officers of the Ministry of Interior in the training centers and schools of
intervention units in Tunis and in other regions (Kairouan, Bizerte, Hammamet, Sousse).
Additional training sessions are planned as well.
69. Also in Tunisia, OHCHR has been coordinating the Freedom of Expression/Media Group, a
network of technical and financial partners who support freedom of expression and media in
Tunisia. The group exchanges information, raises awareness on freedom of expression and safety
of journalists and convenes regularly to review and update a unified advocacy strategy with
regard to freedom of expression in Tunisia. OHCHR has also provided advice to Tunisian
authorities on the implementation of the new press code in line with international human rights
23
standards (including through a roundtable in April 2014 in partnership with the Ministry of Justice,
Human Rights and Transitional Justice). In partnership with the same Ministry and the Journalists
Union, OHCHR also developed a training module on journalists’ rights before Courts. A trial pilot
session was conducted in 2014, and five training sessions are planned for 2015. In cooperation
with the Ministry of Interior, OHCHR implemented a capacity-building programme on “human
rights and law enforcement”, including one session on freedom of the press and safety of
journalists (in 2012 and in 2014 for 100 law enforcement officials). A section on the safety of
journalists was included in the Code of Conduct of Law Enforcement Officials on International
Human Rights Standards for Interior Security Forces that was developed and about 40,000 copies
disseminated in 2014. To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against
Journalists on 2 November 2014, OHCHR co-organized with UNESCO, the Council of Europe,
Reporters without Borders and the Embassy of France in Tunisia a two-day regional workshop to
share journalists’ experiences and best practices in combating impunity for crimes against
journalists.
Latin America and the Caribbean region
70. In Brazil, UNESCO is working with the Brazilian Judiciary Power to promote the debate on
freedom of expression. The Brazilian Supreme Court, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Expression, and the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteurs on
Freedom of Expression set up a partnership for an in-depth debate on the right to freedom of
expression under the Brazilian Judiciary System. This high-profile joint effort intends to offer
judges throughout Brazil a concrete space to discuss issues related to the promotion and
protection of freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and freedom of information, taking
into account the international debate towards these topics. The initiative gives particular
attention to the safety of journalists and the fight against impunity, recognizing the centrality of
the Judiciary in coping with these urgent and complex challenges. Among the activities planned
and organized are an international dialogue about these issues and the creation of online courses
for judges who are interested in increasing their expertise in these areas.
71. UNESCO and the Knight Center of University of Texas Austin are collaborating with the former
UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression and the former Special Rapporteur of the Organization of American States on a
massive open online course (mooc) on freedom of expression, including safety of journalists,
initially targeting the Supreme Court of Mexico. It is envisaged that this will later be expanded to
the rest of the Latin America region. This is the result of a grant by UNESCO’s IPDC.
72. In Guatemala, President Otto Perez Molina, made a public announcement on 28 November 2013,
stating that a protection mechanism for journalists will be established in the country on the basis
of the UN Plan. In 2014, OHCHR organized an International Seminar on mechanisms of protection
for journalists, aimed at strengthening the knowledge of civil society and state actors on how to
build such a mechanism in Guatemala. OHCHR also provided technical assistance to the Ministry
24
of Interior in this regard. The Journalists’ Safety Indicator research tool is being piloted in
Guatemala as well as Honduras. In Mexico, OHCHR enhanced the capacity of the National
Protection Mechanism of Mexico to protect human rights defenders and journalists, and
provided technical advice to the authorities to provide protection in several cases documented
and monitored.
Challenges and Lessons Learnt
73. Governments have not only a duty but also an interest in securing the safety of journalists and
ending impunity. There is a need of more political will amongst national authorities to take
advantage of the opportunities of the UN Plan.
74. One of the lessons learnt is that in developing a convivial environment for the safety of
journalists, it is invaluable to have activities enabling access to information and regulatory reform,
which can support the role of Member States in creating a broader environment for the safe
exercise of journalism.
75. Freedom of expression, freedom of information, and other media legislation need to be aligned
to international standards for an environment that is conducive to safety.
76. Human resources remain a great challenge in the implementation of the UN Plan. In several
instances, UNESCO has limited personnel on the ground to engage with Member States due to
the financial constraints of the Organization.
77. Instability of the political situation is also affecting the ability to implement the UN Plan. For
example in South Sudan, several months of armed conflict suspended implementation and the
situation in Iraq has made progress very difficult.
Recommendations
78. Encourage the Member States to develop and implement strategies which ensure appropriate
media law and regulation in line with international standards, and to provide capacity-building to
enable the full investigation and prosecution of crimes against journalists. Member States can
specifically be alerted to the potential of establishing a special prosecutor or independent
commission and the training of the judiciary and security forces regarding the safety of journalists.
They can also be encouraged to join commemorations of the UN’s International Day to End
Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November, as an opportunity to signal their
commitment. OHCHR has produced a report on good practices regarding safety of journalists
which can be referenced.
79. Encourage Member States to take advantage of the UN Plan to build up monitoring capacity as
well as capacities amongst their rule of law institutions.
25
80. Encourage the Member States to publicly condemn attacks on journalists and to initiate swift and
thorough judicial investigations into these crimes.
81. Encourage the Member States to actively provide information concerning the judicial
investigations of killings of journalists to UNESCO as part of the Director-General’s Report on the
Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, and where needed, to develop effective
monitoring mechanisms for this purpose.
82. Capacity-building of the national rule of law should be complemented with an international
component, as to ensure prosecution of crimes against journalists and the media when national
governments and/or courts are unable to. Encourage the use and strengthening of existing
compliance systems at the regional and international levels (e.g. regional courts, UN human
rights treaty bodies, UN Special Procedure mandates, etc.).
83. Encourage Member States to make use of the Journalists’ Safety Indicators (which is based on the
well-established methodology of UNESCO Media Development Indicators) as a research tool to
provide objective information for assessing progress in the implementation of the UN Plan.
84. Encourage Member States to engage in regular multi-stakeholder discussion with the UN and
other international organisations, as well as relevant national actors, within the framework of the
UN Plan, in order to evolve shared solutions for ensuring the safety of journalists.
85. Encourage an increase in scale of intervention and the extension of the period of the
implementation of the activities that had been foreseen under the country’s plan of action. This
is necessary in order to ensure that the safety of journalists will continue to be addressed in the
long term within the country.
86. Consider developing comprehensive principles and guidelines which could inform and guide the
formulation and development of laws dealing with safety of journalists and issue of impunity
covering inter alia protection and prosecution mechanisms, penalties, and compensation matters.
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PARTNERING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS
Expected Result 3: Other intergovernmental organizations and other organizations such as
professional associations, media, academia and NGOs are reinforced and their work is harmonised
with the implementation of the UN Plan.
Key Achievements
87. In this expected result, the work of regional intergovernmental organizations is reinforced and
also harmonised with the UN system at regional level. Furthermore, the work of international
non-governmental organizations, professional organizations, and media is expected to be
reinforced and harmonised, where appropriate, with relevant UN system actions at the
international level. This applies to the national level as well with national actors and relevant
country-level actions of the UN system.
88. A significant achievement is the specific inclusion of the UN Plan and the safety of journalists into
important regional normative instruments. This is reflected in the April 2014 Declaration of the
Council of Europe as well as in the Guidelines published by the European Union in May 2014.
International organizations including non-governmental organizations have embraced the UN
Plan and included it in their work in promoting press freedom, safety of journalists, and ending
impunity for crimes against journalists.
Expected Outcome 3.1: The work of regional intergovernmental organizations9 is reinforced and also
harmonised with the UN system at regional level. (This section refers to Actions 3.1.1 to 3.1.13 in the
Implementation Strategy 2013-2014)
89. The Council of the European Union adopted the EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of
Expression Online and Offline on 12 May 2014, calling on the States to implement the UN Plan.
90. The Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for media and information society
adopted in November 2013 in Belgrade, Serbia a Resolution on the Safety of Journalists.10 This
was followed by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopting the Declaration of the
Committee of Ministers on the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists and Other
Media Actors on 30 April 2014. Both documents express their support for the UN Plan and
encourage further implementation.
91. From 23-24 April 2013 the International Conference on the safety of journalists was organized in
Warsaw, Poland by the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs of Poland, the Embassy of Switzerland in
9 For the purpose of this report, the European Union, although being a supranational organization, appears in this
chapter as it is also a regional organization. 10
See http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/media/Belgrade2013/Belgrade%20Ministerial%20Conference%20Texts%20Adopted_en.pdf.
27
Warsaw as well as the Embassy of Austria in Warsaw. The conference was attended by
representatives from States, OSCE, the Council of Europe, UNESCO, NGOs, and journalists. The
discussions and debates provided ground for recommendations conducive towards the safety of
journalists: “The protection of journalists should cover all news providers, both professional and
non-professional, as well as journalistic sources, and it should not only extend to times of
conflict, but also to times of peace.”11
92. The Council of Europe hosted a round table entitled “Safety of journalists – from commitment to
action” on 19 May 2014 in Strasbourg. The round table mapped out the role of Council of Europe
bodies to enhance media freedom and the protection of journalists, encouraging dialogue
between international institutions and media freedom organizations. The Council of Europe
aimed to find methods to better address human rights violations against media workers. This
round table was part of the operational proposals of the Council of Europe’s Secretary-General
for the creation of an Internet-based platform to facilitate compiling, processing, and the
dissemination of information on serious concerns about media freedom and safety of journalists.
On 4 December 2014, the Council of Europe, together with five partner organizations, signed a
Memorandum of Understanding to set up the aforementioned internet-based platform.12
Furthermore, the Committee of Experts on protection of journalism and safety of journalists
(MSI-JO) held their second meeting on 6-7 October 2014 and advanced in their work to produce a
draft recommendation for their mother committee, the Steering Committee on Media and
Information Society (CDMSI), which additionally will be considered by the Committee of
Ministers. A third meeting to continue the work on the draft recommendation is scheduled to
take place in early 2015.
93. The Council of Europe, together with the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the
University of Sheffield, and the European Lawyer's Union, UNESCO, and the European Court of
Human Rights organized on 3 November 2014 a 'Seminar and Inter-Regional Dialogue on the
Protection of Journalists' to examine the current legal programmes and mechanisms which
protect journalists and media staff worldwide. Discussions were held on the protective legal
framework for the media and concrete steps for its improvement were proposed.
94. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted a number of resolutions on the
issue of safety of journalists including the Resolution 185 on the Safety of Journalists and Media
Practitioners in Africa (2011) and Resolution 221 on the Attacks against Journalists and Media
Practitioners in Somalia (2012, 2014). In May 2013, the Pan African Parliament adopted the
Declaration on Press Freedom in Africa.
11
See: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/official_documents/Warsaw_recommendations_safety_2013.pdf. 12
See: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/media/MOU.pdf. The partner organizations are the following: International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), European Federation of Journalists, Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Reporters Without Borders (RWB), and Article 19.
28
95. Regional mandate holders, together with the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and
protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, have also issued several joint
declarations on different aspects of the right to freedom of expression, including the safety of
journalists and media workers. For the past few years, the Special Rapporteurs have jointly issued
statements on World Press Freedom Day which strongly urged to strengthen the enabling
environment for freedom of expression, including the improvement of the safety of journalists.
Most recently, on 1 September 2014, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and
expression, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Organization of American
States Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, and the African Commission on Human
and the Peoples’ Rights Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to
Information issued a joint statement urging stronger protection of journalists covering conflicts,
referring to the contexts of Syria, Ukraine, Iraq, and Gaza.
96. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media monitors the safety of journalists,
particularly in cases of physical attacks, incarceration, and harassment. The Representative
responds quickly and directly with the participating States and other parties concerned through
diplomatic channels and public statements. The Office of the Representative on Freedom of the
Media updated its Safety of Journalists’ guidebook in May 2014, including its guidelines on digital
safety. In addition, the OSCE representative on freedom of the media has increasingly included
the issue of the digital safety in her statements and speeches as well as her regular reports.
97. The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Organization of
American States (OAS) has a strong focus on the safety of journalists. Next to covering the topic
in its Annual Reports, the Office of the Special Rapporteur published a report titled Violence
against journalists and media workers: Inter-American standards and national practices on
prevention, protection and prosecution of perpetrators13 in 2013.
Expected Outcome 3.2: The work of international non-governmental organizations, including
professional organizations and media, is reinforced and also harmonised with relevant UN system
actions at international level and Expected Outcome 3.3: The work of civil society, professional
associations, media houses, and academia is reinforced and harmonised with other national partners,
including relevant actions of the UN system at country level. (This section refers to Actions 3.2.1 to
3.3.14 in the Implementation Strategy 2013-2014)
Note: At the time of writing it was difficult to provide an in-depth assessment of all these groups’
activities from the point of view of reinforcement and harmonization with the UN Plan at either
international and/or national level. However, a significant proportion of these actors have referenced
the UN Plan, and most have participated in events where it has been discussed. A number of specific
instances have been noted earlier in this document.
13 Available from www.oas.org/en/iachr/expression/reports/thematic.asp; the report was also published in the
Annual Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 2013 (vol. II): Report of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, chapter III.
29
98. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has a strong focus on the safety of journalists and the
issue of impunity. Their annual publication Attacks on the Press provides an all-inclusive overview
of violations and threats to the media, based on results of a global survey. Since 1992, CPJ
investigates and tracks the killing of journalists worldwide by documenting and publicizing the
judicial progress of their cases. CPJ dispatches advocacy missions throughout the world every
year to raise concerns regarding press freedom with high levels of government. Their global
campaign against impunity encompasses this research and is represented in the Global Impunity
Index, which ranks countries based on the amount of unresolved cases. In October 2014, CPJ
published the report Road to Justice: Breaking the Cycle of Impunity in the Killing of Journalists to
mark the inaugural International Day to End Impunity which focuses specifically on the killings of
journalists. In addition, it publishes and periodically updates a journalist security guide. CPJ’s
Journalist Assistance program provides legal, medical, and relocation assistance to journalists at
risk, along with support for families of slain and imprisoned journalists. The program has
facilitated the development of two inter-organizational networks—one in Africa and one focused
on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region—to share information and coordinate joint
responses.
99. International Media Support (IMS) supports local media in countries affected by armed conflict
and political transition. IMS ranks the safety of journalists as one of its top priorities and
advocates for the implementation of the UN Plan. It contributed directly to safety of journalists’
activities in the four first phase countries as well as other countries. An extensive three-year
project was implemented in Pakistan to reinforce the capacities of indigenous journalists and
media workers, including a safety fund, survival trainings, and development of safety protocols
and best practices. With support of the Open Society Foundations, IMS is funding two ongoing
activities: the Pakistan Journalists Safety Fund (PJSF) and a research study entitled Supporting
media in conflict: A case study of threats to journalists in Pakistan, an assessment of options to
reduce and manage these threats. Both of the activities are supporting the UN Plan in Pakistan. In
Nepal, IMS supports the establishment of a mechanism to protect journalists at the National
Human Rights Commission (NHRC). UNESCO has contracted IMS to coordinate the
implementation of 18 activities within its larger project in collaboration with other partners. In
Iraq, IMS has established a close dialogue with key authorities and police to ensure journalists’
safety through a joint code of conduct and strengthened mutual understanding of the rights and
responsibilities of journalists and police. A similar initiative was conducted in the Kurdistan region.
In South Sudan, UNESCO, IMS, and the local media community have frequently met with officials
and sought to build relations, explaining about the UN Plan initiative. One of the priorities is to
strengthen the regionally based Media Observatory Committees of UJOSS.
100. The International Press Institute (IPI) represents a global network of editors, media executives,
and prominent journalists and publishes the World Press Freedom Review every year, which
combines several essays on media issues throughout the world and provides recommendations
to alleviate them. In addition, IPI documents the killing of journalists in their “Death Watch” and
provides a platform dedicated to press freedom via their annual World Congress. Their 2011
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special report Impunity: A Global Scourge detailed the situation of impunity in Russia, Mexico,
Colombia, and the Philippines, raising awareness about the dangers of impunity and calling for
cooperative action to ensure justice. Furthermore, IPI conducts research and fact-finding
missions to countries where freedom of expression is under threat.
101. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) represents over 600,000 journalists worldwide
and launched a concrete website portal dedicated to the safety of journalists and the protection
of the media in 2013, where it documents and monitors the killing of journalists. In addition, IFJ
provides expertise and assistance to media workers to ensure their safety as well as an
International Safety Fund to support journalists under threat. UNESCO has provided symbolic
support for IFJ’s activities in training local trainers on safety issues. In concurrence with the
International Day to End Impunity, IFJ launched their first ‘End Impunity’ campaign in 2013,
urging national authorities of the countries with the highest killing of journalists to investigate
their cases and bring the perpetrators to justice. A report entitled Media Under Attack: Balkans
and former Soviet Union Press Freedom Review from January 2011 – December 2013 was
released by IFJ on 3 May 2014, detailing press freedom violations and the present challenges
within the region. Furthermore, IFJ conducted a three day fact-finding mission in Mexico from 9
to 11 September 2014 and urged the local authorities and media owners to enhance their efforts
conducive to the safety and freedom of the media. (At country level, such as in Pakistan and
South Sudan, journalists’ organisations have been very active in promoting safety issues).
102. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) monitors violations of freedom of expression in over 150
countries. It also produces the annual press freedom ranking. RSF advocates for a better enabling
environment for journalists to practice their profession and supports international standards
including the UN Plan. It provides training in both physical and digital security of journalists. In
total, more than 700 journalists, bloggers, and citizen-journalists attended RSF’s digital safety
workshops in 2013 and 2014. RSF has a hotline for emergencies that journalists in risk could
contact and is available 24 hours a day everyday. RSF provided free safety resources for
journalists dispatched in dangerous areas, including the lending of bullet proof jackets marked
“PRESS” to 41 journalists in 2013, and 40 in 2014 as well as loans of helmets to 42 journalists in
2013, and 55 in 2014. In 2013, RSF allocated 157 assistance grants to journalists. It also provides
assistance to journalists forced to flee their country for safety reasons. RSF submits requests for
international protection to institutions in charge of refugees or asylum seekers, and provides
support letters describing the applicant’s situation and the situation of freedom of expression in
their country. RSF has developed insurance formulas, in cooperation with an insurance company,
for journalists, photographers, and freelance journalists engaged in professional missions outside
their country of habitual residence, including the most dangerous areas, at a preferential rate.
Hundreds of journalists benefit from such services. 434 journalists subscribed to such insurances
in 2013. RSF’s Handbook for Journalists, compiled in partnership with UNESCO, was published in
2007 and is frequently updated. The handbook is aimed at those travelling to dangerous parts of
the world. The Swedish chapter of RSF is working on a new handbook for journalists travelling to
perilous areas.
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103. The Open Society Foundations’ (OSF) Program on Independent Journalism, and the relevant
country and regional offices of OSF, continue to collaborate with international support and
UNESCO on projects in the four first phase countries as well as Honduras. To complement this
work, the Journalism Program funded the Center for Freedom of the Media at the University of
Sheffield to host the London Symposium on Journalists’ Safety earlier in 2014 and the Seminar
and Inter-regional Dialogue on the protection of journalists. It is also supporting a study being
conducted by the Columbian Federation de la Libertad de la Prensa (FLIP) to compare the
Mexican and Columbian experiences of the construction, revision, and implementation of the
legal protection mechanism in the two countries. Together with OSF’s Latin America Program,
the Independent Journalism programme is funding NGO Article 19’s safety trainings for
journalists in Mexico, developing a safety training program in Brazil, and working to strengthen
freedom of expression groups in Honduras through a mentoring programme.
104. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, or WAN-IFRA, is the global
organization of the world’s press, representing more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online
sites, and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. WAN-IFRA frequently conducts
country visits to assess the situation of press freedom within. It also calls on authorities to ensure
journalists are able to work in a safe environment by strongly advocating the UN Plan. The
organization’s subsidiary World Editors Forum (WEF) is working with UNESCO to conduct a global
survey on shield laws for journalists in the digital age. The WEF Special Advisor on journalists’
safety, Mr Javier Garza Ramos, provides regular updates on safety and impunity campaigns as
well as on the prosecution of crimes against the media.
105. Article 19 raises public awareness about impunity and safety of journalists through research,
campaigns, advocacy, standard setting, publishing, monitoring, and providing legal assistance
within transitional countries in order to safeguard freedom of expression. Their country reports
assess media freedom and the right of freedom of expression within a nation’s borders, including
recommendations to improve the situation. In August 2014, Article 19 released the film
Journalists under Attack on the dangers faced by Russian journalists, sensitizing the public on the
risks media workers encounter daily.
106. Freedom House is a press freedom watchdog organization that annually investigates the
situation of human rights and civil liberties in every country. Their research and analysis serve as
campaigning and advocacy tools for local and international stakeholders to primarily amend
existing restrictive legislation. Their affiliate Freedom House Mexico specifically implements
safety and self-protection trainings for Mexican media professionals and provides capacity-
building resources to strengthen local institutions and facilitate legal reform.
107. International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) is a network of over 90 freedom of
expression organizations active at the local, national, regional, and international level, spanning
over 60 countries, with more than two thirds based in the Global South and each with their areas
of expertise. The safety of journalists, media workers, artists, writers, and others who are
threatened, forced into exile or even killed for exercising their right to free expression is a major
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concern for the members of IFEX. On a daily basis, IFEX members monitor, report, campaign, and
advocate to stop attacks on journalists and to end the impunity that is so often connected with
them. During its General Meeting in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2011, the network launched the
International Day to End Impunity (IDEI) campaign. It was a global call to action to demand justice
for those who have been targeted for exercising their right to freedom of expression, and to shed
light on the issue of impunity. The day chosen, 23 November, marked the anniversary of the 2009
Maguindanao, Ampatuan massacre, when 58 people – including 32 journalists and media
workers – were killed. IFEX has now aligned this campaign to commence on the UN’s
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November.
108. The International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) advocates for the development of
independent media to promote good governance and ensure sustainability. The organization
conducts research on the conditions of independent media in 80 countries around the world,
which is compiled and analyzed in IREX’s ‘Media Sustainability Index’. Their S.A.F.E. (Securing
Access to Free Expression) Initiative provides integrated safety trainings and support to media
professionals who face threats in Latin America, Eurasia, and Africa. Establishing regional security
centers in El Salvador, Georgia, and Kenya, S.A.F.E. combines training in digital security, physical
safety, and psychosocial care for journalists. In accordance with the International Day to End
Impunity in November 2013, IREX hosted a panel discussion on gender-based violence against
journalists.
109. Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) is active in the MENA region, where they have
implemented several trainings on journalism safety and professional reporting, including the
training in June 2014 of Syrian journalists based in Turkey regarding their personal security and
how to face dangerous situations. In 2013, three safety-training workshops were conducted for
Palestinian journalists to strengthen their knowledge of reporting on sensitive issues in perilous
areas. In cooperation with UNESCO, the DCMF Media Literacy programme raises awareness of
the importance of a free and ethical media among the regional youth. Additionally, the DCMF
conducts research about press freedom throughout the MENA region and provides direct
assistance and support to journalists who are harassed or threatened in relation to their work via
their Emergency Assistance programme. The inaugural International Day to End Impunity for
Crimes against Journalists served as the launch of the DCMF Doha Action Plan, which aims to
improve the safety of journalists and media practitioners in a concerted effort.
110. The International News Safety Institute (INSI) provides real-time, practical information as well
as trainings and research to help journalists around the world do their jobs safely. It has also
published the landmark publication on safety of women journalists No Womens-land and co-
authored with the International Women’s Media Foundation the Global Survey on Violence and
Harassment against Women in the News Media, which was funded through UNESCO with
support from the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.
111. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has UN Consultative Status and advocates for legal protection
and safety of journalists in conflict zones and dangerous areas. Pressing the issue of impunity on
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general debates and sessions of the UN Human Rights Council through written and oral
contributions, PEC monitors the killing of journalists worldwide and awards its yearly PEC Prize
for the Protection of Journalists to both individuals and organizations that have defended
freedom of expression.
112. Free Press Unlimited’s main focus is the distribution of objective and accurate information to
society’s least connected through independent media. Community projects and local media
capacity-building initiatives further the access to impartial information and support the
advancement of independent media in countries where press freedom is limited.
113. The World Press Freedom Committee primarily targets defamation laws and censorship on a
global scale and aims for their removal from the penal and criminal code.
114. PEN International campaigns against impunity and the curtailment of freedom of speech in
general. The organization publicly condemns violations against the press and advocates for the
implementation of the UN Plan. The international association of writers conducted the ‘Write
Against Impunity’-campaign in 2012, calling on Latin American writers to oppose the present
limitations of freedom of expression within the region. A publication of writings emerged from
this campaign. For 2014, the main focus was on one country in the public awareness campaign
around the report Honduras: Journalism in the Shadow of Impunity, highlighting the dangers
and threats journalists face within this Latin American country.
115. Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) provides legal services to independent journalists and
bloggers, who can be struggling to find legal counsel when faced with criminal charges and
prosecution. Since 2008, MLDI has assisted in numerous cases and supported in media law
training courses.
116. The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is dedicated to strengthening the role of
women journalists worldwide. It conducts regular research focusing on women journalists
including the Status of Women in the News Media. It also organizes the annual Courage in
Journalism Award. The 2013 Global Study on Violence and Harassment against Women in the
News Media was jointly produced with the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and the
International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF).
117. ICORN – International Cities of Refuge Network is an association of cities which provide a safe
haven to writers under threat of persecution, censorship, imprisonment, or even death. Writers
can apply for protection and economic security within one of the cities of the ICORN-network,
where they are able to stay for at least two years. The organization aims to protect writers from
being silenced and in this regard promote the freedom of expression.
118. Many of the organizations listed above have been very active at the national level, including
harmonizing their efforts in several cases within the first phase countries of the UN Plan.
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119. Various other institutions, including media houses, have been contributing towards the safety of
journalists and the issue of impunity under the momentum of the UN Plan. The BBC Global News
and the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) in collaboration with the BBC College of
Journalism hosted the BBC’s Safety of Journalists Symposium in London on 7 April 2014. BBC and
CFOM also organized another event in 2012 that produced the London Statement, which was
signed by over 40 media organizations calling for strong UN Action to stop the killings of
journalists. On 3 November 2014, CFOM convened a high-level symposium, together with
UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the European Lawyer’s Union, at the European Courts of
Human Rights.
120. The Doha-based Aljazeera Media Network has organized several symposiums and seminars on
the topics of safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, including the seminar ’Protecting the
messenger: the challenges of media coverage in conflict zones’ on 12 November 2013 in London.
The news organization also actively provides safety training, linked to international standards, to
its journalists. The media company gave primetime attention to the International Day to End
Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November 2014.
Challenges and Lessons Learnt
121. One of the characteristics of the UN Plan is the multi-stakeholder approach. This is based on the
reality that the issue of the safety of journalists is much too complex and complicated to be able
to be resolved by any single actor. By drawing on the various strengths and resources of different
stakeholders collectively, there is a better prospect for improving the safety of journalists and
ending impunity.
122. Yet at the same time, there exist strong differences amongst different stakeholders which make
the multi-stakeholder approach challenging. There remains mistrust between the national
authorities and the journalistic community in many countries. In some countries, there are
differences within the journalistic community (sometimes also with employer groups) that
prevent all actors from coming to the same table.
123. While the NGOs and professional associations have been active and often increased their
activity at national level, the response of media houses has been limited. With some exceptions,
journalism schools have also been passive on the issue of researching and teaching safety
concerns for media workers, although in 2013 UNESCO collaborated with several of them to
produce a model syllabus for teaching safety to journalism students.
Recommendations
124. Regional organisations have room to develop more practical actions especially at country level.
125. The implementation of the UN Plan will continue to be based on a multi-stakeholder approach.
National-level consultation should take place involving relevant stakeholders such as local
35
journalistic associations, editors’ associations, media owners, academia, local and international
NGOs working on the issues, national human rights institutions, UN Agencies, the judiciary, and
relevant Ministries.
126. NGOs and professional organizations could make more use of the UN Plan to build coalitions,
mobilize resources, and enhance impact, as well as combine or harmonise efforts in contexts
where there is potential for enhanced impact through concerted efforts.
127. National Human Rights Institutions should be embraced within the UN Plan as effective bridges
between civil society, governments, and other non-state actors. They defend and promote
human rights on a national level and provide additional insight into the situation in the field
through research.
128. Occasions such as the UN Inter-Agency Meetings should be used to reaffirm/renew focal points
of various organizations on the issue of safety of journalists.
129. Journalists should be encouraged to monitor and report on the implementation of the safety-
related instruments including but not limited to the UN Plan, the UNGA Resolution A/RES/68/163
and A/RES/69/185, the Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/21/12 and A/HRC/27/5 as well
as the Universal Periodic Review where the safety of journalists is included.
130. Media houses should be encouraged to investigate and report on fatal and non-fatal attacks on
journalists and media organizations, and follow up on impunity stories, as well as on occasions
such as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on 2 November each
year.
131. Journalism schools should be encouraged to research and teach about safety and impunity
issues.
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RAISING AWARENESS
Expected Result 4: State institutions, governments, media houses and other key stakeholders have
increased awareness of the importance of safety of journalists and combating impunity, and of ways
to achieve these conditions.
Key achievements
132. One of the expected results of the UN Plan is an increased awareness among the international
community about the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity as well as an increased
awareness among society at the national level on the importance of the issue.
133. The significant achievement here is the noticeable increase in overall awareness of the issue of
the safety of journalists amongst various stakeholders’ groups.
134. As noted earlier, UNESCO has created a dedicated website
(www.unesco.org/new/en/safetyofjournalists) which contains regularly updated information
concerning the UN Plan, various activities and upcoming events, related documents including
international human rights and humanitarian law, conventions, recommendations, guide books,
good practices, and practical resources on the safety of journalists. Many of these information
resources are available in multiple languages.
Expected Outcome 4.1: Increased awareness among the international community about the safety of
journalists and the issue of impunity. (This section refers to Action 4.1.1 to 4.1.21 of the
Implementation Strategy 2013-2014)
135. The United Nations Secretary-General and UNESCO’s Director-General issue joint statements
on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. These messages address the issue of
the safety of journalists as a prerequisite for a healthy environment for freedom of the press. For
example, in 2013, the joint message concerned the notion of “Safe to speak: securing freedom of
expression in all media”. In 2014, the joint message related to the global theme of “Media
freedom for a better future: shaping the post-2015 development agenda” and the subtheme
entitled “Rule of law to ensure safety of journalists and combating impunity”.
136. As indicated earlier, safety of journalists has been one of the topics highlighted during the
worldwide events including World Radio Day on 13 February, World Press Freedom Day on 3
May and the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November.
UNESCO also awards the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, honouring a
person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence
and/or promotion of press freedom.
137. As indicated earlier, the UNESCO Director-General condemns the killings of journalists, media
workers, and of social media producers of significant public-interest journalism. These public
statements are distributed to major news outlets and are available publicly on the dedicated
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website UNESCO Condemns Killing of Journalists
(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/freedom-of-
expression/press-freedom/unesco-condemns-killing-of-journalists/).
138. The UN High Commissioner for human rights has addressed the issue of the safety of journalists
in bilateral contacts with States, but also in press releases, statements and public reports.
139. Amongst the many publications by organisations cited earlier, another can be added by the
International News Safety Institute (INSI). This is a study titled Journalism Safety: Threats to
Media Workers and Measures to Protect Them. This study, supported by UNESCO, focuses on
good practices that promote safety of journalists and which can be replicated around the world.
Therefore an important step has been set towards the implementation of the UN Plan, since
sharing information on good practices was identified as an effective approach to achieve the
expected results identified in the Implementation Strategy. A study on digital safety, sponsored
by UNESCO with the support of Denmark, is in process.
140. The UN Plan was intensively discussed during the Global Investigative Journalism Network
(GIJN) 2013 Conference, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and was attended by over
1000 journalists from almost 100 countries. COLPIN, the regional equivalent of GIJN for Latin
America, decided to include the issue of safety of journalists as part of its October 2014
Conference. Local equivalents including FOPEA (Argentina), Abraji (Brazil), and APU (Uruguay)
are similarly inserting the issues of safety of journalists and impunity in their respective
conference agendas.
Expected Outcome 4.2: Increased awareness among society at national level about the importance of
the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. (This section refers to Action 4.2.1 to 4.2.5 of the
Implementation Strategy 2013-2014)
Among the many activities signaled earlier, the following information can be added:
141. As noted earlier, on 7 April 2014, BBC Global News and CFOM hosted a conference titled
“Making the Protection of Journalists a Reality: Time to End the Scourge of Impunity”. At this
one-day symposium, held at the BBC Broadcasting House in London, global media
representatives showcased examples of investigative reporting and legal actions which exposed
the realities of anti-media violence and helped to ensure that governments brought the
perpetrators to justice. Participants, along with BBC journalists, staged a public protest outside
the conference venue to condemn attacks and imprisonment.
142. On 10 December 2013, International Human Rights Day, a Solidarity Stand was arranged in
Qatar in honour of all the human rights defenders, including journalists who bring vital news and
information to the public on a daily basis. The Solidarity Stand was organized by the Public
Liberties and Human Rights Department of Al Jazeera Media Network and took place in the
Network’s Headquarters in Doha, Qatar. The aim of the annual event is to commemorate those
38
who fought to defend human rights, including journalists who sometimes risk their lives and
safety to expose corruptions or criminal activities.
143. The Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy organized a one-day seminar on the
“Challenges of Citizen Journalism: Technology and Law” at University of Oxford’s Socio-Legal
Studies Institute on 24 January 2014. UNESCO was able to present the keynote speech that
linked the challenges of citizen journalism, particularly from the physical and digital safety
perspective, with the recent global development in the promotion of safety of journalists and the
issue of impunity.
144. A session on Digital Safety of Journalists and other Media Actors was organized on 3 September
2014 at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Istanbul, Turkey. The event was co-hosted by
UNESCO, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Center for Studies on Freedom of
Expression and Access to Information.
Challenges and Lessons Learnt
145. While the general awareness of the issue of safety of journalists continues to increase, the
knowledge of international instruments (including the UN Plan) and availability of good practice
and training resources is still limited.
146. Media houses are often reluctant to highlight the issue of safety of journalists even when their
own staffers are involved. There is a common misconception that audiences are not interested in
these issues. There was limited uptake of coverage around the inaugural International Day to End
Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
147. The UN Plan’s proposal for memorials and dedicating heritage in relation to journalists’ safety
has not seen a significant outcome.
Recommendations
148. The Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) can be used to provide accurate information for
awareness-raising amongst all actors.
149. Activities need to continue and expand in order to raise awareness of the threats to the safety
of journalists and of the UN Plan. In addition, the availability of good practices and training
material should be known publicly and made easily available. Safety training can be integrated
into many other trainings of journalists.
150. Media houses and other actors should be encouraged to find common ground on the issue of
safety and be more proactive in highlighting the issues.
151. National consultative dialogues with a multi-stakeholder approach need to take place more
frequently and in more places.
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152. With the opportunity of Impunity Day to draw attention to due process and the rule of law,
stakeholders in these broader issues, such as the legal community, can be encouraged to see the
importance of justice for attacked journalists as a gateway to combating crime and impunity
more broadly.
153. International statements and mechanisms can be demystified for practical use, and continuous
learning around these opportunities can be provided. Capacity-building is needed to create a
cadre of actors who are well-trained in the normative, legal, institutional, and practical aspects of
the UN Plan, including coalition-building skills under its auspices.
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OVERALL CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
154. The UN Plan is a process, not an event or a single activity. This is appropriate to its purpose
which recognises that securing safety and combating impunity are “long haul” issues. While
progress has been made, much more can be done, including adaptations based on the lessons
and recommendations of this review document. The UN Plan itself, and the associated
Implementation Strategy, remain relevant as frameworks for the next four years.
155. Significant momentum on the issues of safety of journalists and of ending impunity has been
gained in the past two years, creating widespread consensus around this particular issue. There is
a need for joint or parallel activities by stakeholders to ensure that no person is killed or attacked
for being engaged in journalism, and no perpetrator gets away with such human rights violations.
156. Global and regional momentum should be paralleled by, and feed into, localised mechanisms.
157. Keeping the momentum at the international level is vital for the long term sustainability of
efforts done in these areas. Work at the national level should be reinforced in going ahead.
158. A prior assessment of various factors is important before implementing the UN Plan in any
country. These factors include but are not limited to: the needs of the country; political will
including the commitment of the government; the interest and unity of journalists and the local
media community on the safety-impunity issue; human resources including credible and capable
partners ranging from UN Agencies to local NGOs; stability of the country concerned; funding etc.
The Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) can be a tool to map the baseline and bring actors together
to identify priorities for action.
159. Situations can be analysed on a matrix of commitment and capacity. In the most difficult
situations characterised by crisis, it is hard to implement activities other than monitoring and
reporting, and training of journalists. In contexts where there is commitment, but low capacity,
emphasis can be placed on building capacity and institutions. Finally, where there is capacity but
low commitment, awareness raising will become crucial. In this way, a granular approach to the
UN Plan and priority actions can be developed to cover a range of situations.
160. Coalitions should be broadened to include the legal community (judges, prosecutors, law and
order officials) and youth.
161. Each stakeholder group should continue to have a focal point on these issues. Occasions such as
the UN Inter-Agency Meetings should be used to reaffirm/renew focal points of various
organizations on the issue of safety of journalists.
162. At the national level, it is vital to have a multi-stakeholder approach to address the issue of
safety and ending impunity. While methods may differ, each participant needs to agree that the
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safety of journalists is a common point of reference where collaboration could be built or
strengthened.
Strengthening UN Mechanisms
163. Mainstreaming the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity into the diverse work of each
UN agency could be better achieved with dialogue about the relevance of the UN Plan to each
specific mandate. This can be accompanied by improved sharing of good practices by UN actors,
such as associated toolkits and interventions at country level. It is also important to heighten
awareness within the UN by reporting on achievements regarding the UN Plan.
164. To mainstream the safety of journalists into the work of respective UN agencies, there should be
more collaborative work in overlapping areas, particularly at country level. UN bodies already
involved in the UN Plan need to be more proactive in reaching out to their counterparts. There is
also room for improvement through systematising the sharing of information between field
offices and HQs within the UN on matters related to the UN Plan.
165. In Nepal, one of the lessons learnt was that sufficiently large stakeholder discussions needed to
take place in order to select implementing partners. For example, it was important to engage
stakeholders with extended national presence (beyond the capital city) in order to have impact
beyond the selected districts. With this realization the project has now partnered with six more
human rights associations and local media advocacy groups.
166. In South Sudan, different actions are needed following the humanitarian crisis in the country as
well as the increased level of incidents affecting the safety of journalists. Given that the
country’s Plan of Action had been put in place with several concrete activities to be implemented
by different partners, revisions may be needed. It is important that the scale of intervention is
increased and that the implementation period of the activities foreseen under the country’s Plan
of Action is extended. This is necessary in order to ensure that the safety of journalists’ issue in
the country will continue to be addressed in the long term.
Cooperating with Member States
167. Encourage the Member States to develop and implement strategies which ensure appropriate
media law and regulation in line with international standards, and to provide capacity-building to
enable the full investigation and prosecution of crimes against journalists. Member States can
specifically be alerted to the potential of establishing a special prosecutor or independent
commission and the training of the judiciary and security forces regarding the safety of journalists.
They can also be encouraged to join commemorations of the UN’s International Day to End
Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November, as an opportunity to signal their
commitment.
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168. Encourage Member States to take advantage of the UN Plan to build up monitoring capacity as
well as capacities amongst their agencies of the rule of law.
169. Encourage the Member States to publicly condemn attacks on journalists and to initiate swift
and thorough judicial investigations into these crimes.
170. Encourage the Member States to actively provide information concerning the judicial
investigations of killings of journalists to UNESCO as part of the Director-General’s Report on the
Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, and where needed, to develop effective
monitoring mechanisms for this purpose.
171. Capacity-building of the national rule of law in order to be more compliant with international
standards and complement existing mechanisms.
172. Encourage Member States to make use of the Journalists’ Safety Indicators as a recognised
international research tool to provide objective information for assessing progress in the
implementation of the UN Plan.
173. Encourage Member States to engage in regular multi-stakeholder discussion with the UN and
other international organisations, as well as relevant national actors, within the framework of the
UN Plan, in order to evolve shared solutions for ensuring the safety of journalists.
174. Encourage an increase in scale of intervention and the extension of the period of the
implementation of the activities that had been foreseen under the country’s plan of action. This
is necessary in order to ensure that the safety of journalists will continue to be addressed in the
long term within the country.
Partnering with other Organizations and Institutions
175. Regional organisations have room to develop more practical actions especially at country level.
176. The implementation of the UN Plan will continue to be based on a multi-stakeholder approach.
National-level consultation should take place involving relevant stakeholders such as local
journalistic associations, editors’ associations, media owners, academia, local and international
NGOs working on the issues, national human rights institutions, UN Agencies, the judiciary, and
relevant Ministries.
177. NGOs and professional organizations could make more use of the UN Plan to build coalitions,
mobilize resources, and enhance impact, as well as combine or harmonise efforts in contexts
where there is potential for enhanced impact through concerted efforts.
178. National Human Rights Institutions should be embraced within the UN Plan as effective bridges
between civil society, governments, and other non-state actors. They defend and promote
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human rights on a national level and provide additional insight into the situation in the field
through research.
179. Occasions such as the UN Inter-Agency Meetings should be used to reaffirm/renew focal points
of various organizations on the issue of safety of journalists.
180. Journalists should be encouraged to monitor and report on the implementation of the safety-
related instruments including but not limited to the UN Plan, the UNGA Resolution A/RES/68/163,
and the Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/21/12 as well as the Universal Periodic Review
where the safety of journalists is included.
181. Media houses should be encouraged to investigate and report on fatal and non-fatal attacks on
journalists and media organizations, and follow up on impunity stories, as well as on occasions
such as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on 2 November each
year.
182. Journalism schools should be encouraged to research and teach about safety and impunity
issues.
Raising Awareness
183. The Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) can be used to provide accurate information for
awareness-raising amongst all actors.
184. Activities need to continue and expand in order to raise awareness of the threats to the safety
of journalists and of the UN Plan. In addition, the availability of good practices and training
material should be known publicly and made easily available. Safety training can be integrated
into many other trainings of journalists.
185. Media houses and other actors should be encouraged to find common ground on the issue of
safety and be more proactive in highlighting the issues.
186. National consultative dialogues with a multi-stakeholder approach need to take place more
frequently and in more places.
187. With the opportunity of Impunity Day to draw attention to due process and the rule of law,
stakeholders in these broader issues, such as the legal community, can be encouraged to see the
importance of justice for attacked journalists as a gateway to combating crime and impunity
more broadly.
188. International statements and mechanisms can be demystified for practical use, and continuous
learning around these opportunities can be provided. Capacity-building is needed to create a
cadre of actors who are well-trained in the normative, legal, institutional, and practical aspects of
the UN Plan, including coalition-building skills under its auspices.
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Monitoring and Assessment
189. Recommend the systematic monitoring and analysis of the safety of journalists and the issue of
impunity in order to identify more accurately the complexity of factors driving attacks on
journalists and high level of impunity as to better inform future strategies.
190. Recommend the second phase of the implementation of the UN Plan to be extended from a
two-year period (2013-2014) to a four-year period (2015-2018).
191. In order to assess the implementation of the UN Plan, a comprehensive review should take
place at the end of the second phase of the implementation in 2018. Shorter or targeted review
meetings can be envisaged in the intervening years as needed.
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PART III: APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: ORGANIZATIONS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE REVIEW REPORT OF THE UN PLAN OF
ACTION ON THE SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS AND THE ISSUE OF IMPUNITY 2013-2014
UN AGENCIES, FUNDS AND PROGRAMMES
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Department of Political Affairs (UNDPA)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• UN WOMEN
SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS
• UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression
• Representative on Freedom of the Media, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE)
• Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Organization of the American States
(OAS)
INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
African Union Commission (AUC)
Council of Europe (CoE)
Organization of American States (OAS)
MEMBER STATES
Azerbaijan
Austria
Denmark
France
Iraq
Netherlands
Norway
Pakistan
The Philippines
Sri Lanka
Sweden
United Kingdom
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PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
• Article 19
• Centre for Freedom of the Media
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
• Doha Centre for Media Freedom
• European Federation of Journalists
• Federation of African Journalists (FAJ)
• Freedom House
• Free Press Unlimited
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
• International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
• International Media Support (IMS)
• International News Safety Institute (INSI)
• International Press Institute (IPI)
• IREX
• Open Society Institute
• Press Emblem Campaign
• Reporters without Borders
• PEN International
• World Association of Newspaper and News Publisher (WAN-IFRA)
• World Press Freedom Committee
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APPENDIX 2: JOINT STATEMENT BY THE ATTENDING CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS
Statement of the meeting of the civil society delegates of the 3rd UN Inter- Agency meeting on the
Safety of Journalists and the issue of Impunity.
We, the undersigned participants of the meeting of the civil society delegates of the 3rd UN
Inter-Agency meeting on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, that took
place on the 4th November, 2014:
• Reaffirm our support for the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the
Issue of Impunity while recommending a stronger strategic focus on
engaging all stakeholders at domestic levels to implement the plan, given the time
passed since its launch;
• In particular, welcome emphasis on the preventive and protective safety measures
outlined in the Plan of Action but encourage more consistent and less disconnected
actions at country level to guarantee such precautionary measures;
• Believe that national mechanisms need to be further developed and strengthened to
ensure a broad-based, comprehensive and inclusive approach, based on local
ownership;
• Recognize the need for political will and action by UN member states and other
authorities to implement the Plan;
• Appreciate the efforts to map and continue to identify good practices with the
expectation that they can be shared among civil society and media and replicated
where appropriate to inspire implementation of the Plan of Action. But we
recommend more robust use and application of these practices at country level;
• Agree to support implementation of the Plan of Action in mutual cooperation and
partnership among international, regional and national stakeholders, while also
monitoring and assessing the Plan’s impact.
• We recognize that more needs to be done among international NGOs to ensure more
efficient coordination at country level in order to support and facilitate the
achievement of the targets set in the action plan;
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• Underscore the need to comply with the decisions of regional mechanisms to
address impunity and ensure effective implementation of such structures where
they exist;
• While recalling obligations of the UN and its member states to prevent attacks and
combat impunity globally, we recommend implementation of the Plan of Action in a
comprehensive manner,
• Note that increased awareness the UN Action Plan among UN institutions as well as member states and the media themselves is crucial to its successful implementation, and undertake to increase our own efforts to enhance awareness of the Plan among journalists,
• Encourage regular and timely reviews of the progress of the UN Action Plan by all
stakeholders.
Signed by:
ARTICLE 19 Association of European Journalists Centre for Freedom of the Media Centre for Law and Democracy Committee to Protect Journalists (TBC) Deutsche Welle Doha Centre for Media Freedom European Federation of Journalists Free Press Unlimited International Federation of Journalists International Media Support International News Safety Institute International Press Institute International Women’s Media Foundation IREX Europe IREX Irish Centre for Human Rights Media Legal Defence Initiative Program on Independent Journalism, Open Society Foundations PEN International Reporters Without Borders World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) World Press Freedom Committee